Most petrol stations these days have overhead canopies, which makes filling up in the rain a reasonably dry proposition. However, some do not.
If I fill my car with petrol in the pouring rain,
a) does it mean that water is likely to get into the tank?
& b) how much harm does a little water in the tank do?
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Simple solution - if the canopy doesn't cover the pumps don't fill up! Or move to a pump that's covered... or another station...
Why complicate things??
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Wasnt there a thread about water/hydrogen/oxygen injection?
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Back in the dark ages, I was a passenger in a Mini. It was being driven by my pal but it was new at the time and belonged to his girlfriend's mother. If you are still with this ?
Anyway, potential mother in law had let him borrow the car for something on the proviso that he replaced any petrol used and returned it clean.
So, errand completed, we swung into a petrol station, filled it up, vacuumed it out and ran it through the car wash. Only when the wash was complete did he spot the petrol cap sitting on top of the pump he had used. We exchanged oaths some of which involved secrecy and denial, others were just oaths.....
Upshot ? As far as we ever knew it didn't cause the car a problem. Not that it had to live with any long term effects, he wrote it off for her a couple of weeks later while trying to retrieve the cherry end of his fag from the back seat which had blown back in despite swearing not to smoke in it. So concerned with the mission he sort of forgot to stop the car before doing that.
He got better later in life. Never did get the girl though. I think her mum vetoed that.....
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 31/08/2009 at 18:07
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if the canopy doesn't cover the pumps don't fill up! Or move to a pump that's covered... or another station...
Simple solutions are not always available.
I live in a rather rural area, and there are NO stations with canopies within 40 miles of my house.
And there are occasions when one has no choice but to fill up.
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Simple solution.... lean over it when you are filling up and that will prevent water getting in, or use a brolly!!
Edited by b308 on 31/08/2009 at 18:01
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I think the bigger problem is you getting soaked waiting for the fuel to go in.
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If it was a big problem we'd all know about it wouldn't we?
Don't diesels separate water from diesel making sure water does not end up in the tank? Some cars have sensors for water levels in the filter too I thought.
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Some cars have sensors for water levels in the filter too I thought.
Yes they do, but when things have got that far it's a hassle to sort out. Better to try to keep the fuel (tinder?) dry as it goes into the tank. Having said that, fuel is often 'wet' coming out of the pump ...
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the petrol pumps i use have the rubber disc around the neck. it stops fuel splashback and so should stop drips getting into the tank.
unless you are actually pouring water into the tank i can't see a few drops of water doing much.
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i always put a measured pint of water in my tank for every 3 gallons
i get much better economy and am saving the planet
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Considering the size of the fuel tank aperture, any rain that might get in would be no more than a few droplets; even dripping in via the fuel pipe it's only likely to be a tiny amount.
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You are all assuming that the fuel you are drawing out of the petrol stations underground tanks via the pump is 100% pure - it isn't. It will have quite a few contaminents in it, whether it be water or a bit of a cross of fuels, ie the tiniest trace of diesel in the unleaded tank etc. A few droplets of rainwater going down your filler neck from fueling up in the rain isn't going to hurt one bit.
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Thanks all.
Sounds like the consensus is that I shouldn't worry.
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